Summer Series – Millennium Park Summer Music Series

Summer is the perfect time to get out and enjoy some live music! And what’s a more beautiful venue than Millennium Park? This week, we’re telling you all about the Millennium Park Summer Music Series!

This is a series of FREE outdoor concerts at Jay Pritzker Pavilion, from now until August 15. It features a wide variety of genre-defying music from top local, national, and international artists—both established and emerging.

Thursday, July 18, 6:30 pm

Orchestral Interpretations of J Dilla, directed by Miguel Atwood Ferguson

Miguel Atwood Ferguson is a multi-instrumentalist, arranger, composer, music director, producer, DJ, and educator. In this concert, he re-envisions the music of Jay Dee (J Dilla), a modern hip hop producer. 

Kenny Keys 

Chicago native Kenny Keys is a pianist, composer, producer, and music teacher. His first album Everything Must Changeis a mellow, instrumental hip-hop and jazz album. Since then, he has also co-produced a digital album called Corinthian Cadillac. 

Thursday, July 25, 6:30 pm

Los Amigos Invisibles

Los Amigos is a performance-oriented Venezuelan dance band. They play a blend of disco, funk, and acid jazz, mixed with Latin rhythms. They’ve released 11 critically acclaimed albums. 

City of the Sun

City of the Sun is an instrumental band with guitarists John Pita and Avi Snow and percussionist Zach Para. 

Monday, July 29, 6:30 pm

Rev. Sekou

Rev. Sekou’s music is a unique combination of North Mississippi hill country music, Arkansas delta blues, Memphis soul, and pentecostal steel guitar. He released an album in 2017 titled In Times LikeThese, including the modern Civil Rights anthem “We Comin’.”

Cha Wa

Cha Wa is  mixture of a New Orleans brass band and a Mardi Gras Indian funk band. In 2019, the band received a Grammy nomination and last year released their sophomore album Spyboy – a combination of ‘70s funk rhythm, right horn parts and deep, bouncing sousaphone.

Monday, August 5, 6:30 pm

Love Love Love- Chicago Celebrates the Music of Donny Hathaway

The great R&B, soul music master Donny Hathaway will be celebrated in a showcase performed by Chicago artists under the musical direction of Corey Wilkes.

Sam Trump & The Soul Vortex

Sam “Trump” Harris is a multi-instrumentalist,singer, and songwriter from Houston, TX. Since moving to Chicago in 2009 to obtain his fine arts degree in music, he has become heavily involved in Chicago’s live music scene and is widely known as a bandleader, sideman, mentor, & curator. Sam Trump is also a long-standing member of HipHop, Soul, Jazz band, Sidewalk Chalk, who released their 4th album “An Orchid Is Born” in 2017.

Thursday, August 15, 6:30 pm

Jupiter & Okwess

Jupiter & Okwess’ musical expression spans from East Berlin (where Jupiter grew up) to the Congo with hints of James Brown and the dominant Congolese rumba style. The band’s second album Kin Sonic transcends the Congo’s unexplored musical heritage and dives into a pool of modern sounds.

Noura Mint Seymali

Noura Mint Seymali is a nationally beloved star in Mauritania and one of the foremost emissaries of modern Moorish music. Touring notable festivals and esteemed venues throughout the world, the griot vocalist and ardine (a type of harp) master merges the ancient musical traditions of Saharan and West Africa with a powerful, contemporary voice.

For more information on the series, check out this website.

RACHEL HOOVLER & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO